Storyline: Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of 1961. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. How will the trial turn out - and will it change any of the racial tension in the town ?

This is why I watch movies. Every once in a while I stumble upon such a masterpiece which moves me to tears, because it reminds me that, all bad things aside, there is good in all of us - we just have to help each other search for it and bring it to light.

This is definitely one of the best films I've ever seen. Mary Badham is absolutely wonderful as 'Scout', and I think she deserves just as much credit as Gregory Peck for this picture.

The rest of the cast are great as well, and a special mention goes to Elmer Bernstein for his delicate and so appropriate score.

I love this movie and recommend it to anyone. 10/10

2006-02-03

Proper representation of the fight for civil rights

To Kill A Mockingbird is a movie that effectively shows the evils of racism in the nineteen thirties in the south. Gregory Peck plays the calm and collected lawyer, Atticus, who valiantly defends a black man in racist Maycomb Alabama. He does a wonderful job of portraying the Atticus Finch as he struggles to prove the man's innocence. He plays the character as Harper Lee describes him in the book, which is a great factor for me. I love that the book and the movie are very closely associated. I was very impressed with Mary Badham's performance as Scout. She properly displays Scout's innocence and that is a huge theme in the book. Scout's discovery of the racism within her town shows the malicious behaviors of the white people and the mistreatment of the black community. This movie properly represents the mistreatment of the black community and that is another factor that is appealing to me. It shows the cruelty of the whites and creates empathy within the viewer. I highly recommend this film for any person interested in civil rights. This movie and book shows the start of the fight for equal rights for African Americans in the United States. Go see it! It's great!

2015-04-03

An utterly moving film, made perfect by the outstanding performance of Gregory Peck. Must see

'To Kill a Mockingbird' is one of the best books ever written but this film does it justice. The performances throughout are stunning, especially that of Gregory Peck (Harper Lee was so impressed she gave him her late father's pocket watch, a prop he uses in the film, to keep). This film will make anyone think hard about how they treat others and it is really heartwarming without being soppy. It isn't necessary to have read the book before seeing this film but it might be advisable. This is one of the classic films of its generation and very few films of nowadays come close to matching it either. A real must-see.

2005-05-11

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Now i think this is a very good movie and a very good book. But just looking at the IMDb rating and the reviews, this movie is clearly overrated. I've read the book and have seen the movie twice. Some very good things about the movie was adapting the book. It was very well adapted and stuck very true to the book. Gregory Peck did a great job as Atticus. Also Brock Peters did a very good job as Tom Robinson. Most people perform pretty well. That's not why this film is overrated. The movie when looking at it close is pretty bland. I mean the movie itself isn't that great. The movie can be slow at points, not all the characters were good (Dill and Mayella). The ending was different then the book and i liked the book ending much better. And overall the movie just didn't have anything special to offer. To sum it up perfectly. Its a good book adaptation movie (for the most part) with nothing great to offer and nothing bad either. I like it, it just doesn't deserve the praise it gets

2016-05-13

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) ***1/2

Based on the classic novel by Harper Lee, this wholesome adaptation stars Gregory Peck in an Oscar-winning part as Atticus Finch, a righteous defense lawyer during the depression era down South. He's a loving single parent who tries to instill values into his two children, Jem (Philip Alford) and his younger sister "Scout" (Mary Badham). The story is told as a flashback from the perspective of a now-grown Scout (who narrates) during one memorable summer in her youth where her father elected to defend a Negro farmhand named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters). At a time when black people were not well respected in small southern towns, Finch stands alone in his plight to help the innocent young man who has been wrongly accused of raping and beating a white woman. Brock Peters is highly sympathetic as the good-natured Robinson during an unfair courtroom trial, with Gregory Peck as his well-meaning attorney with the odds stacked against him. Fine acting also by young Alford and especially Badham as the children learning about bigotry through their dad in addition to the ongoing trial. Robert DuVall makes his very first motion picture appearance in a small but unforgettable part that remains crucial to the success of the story. ***1/2 out of ****

2005-02-02

From book to Screen

Most of us remember having to read this book in high school but with the directing talents of Robert Mulligan and a fantastic cast this story of 1960s racial prejudice and childhood innocence is brought to life. The film accurately represents the feelings of the public of the time through the eyes of a child in a setting of racial unrest. The acting is as compelling as the story being told and its no wonder why both the book and film are considered classics to this day.

2017-05-04

Absolute Cinema!

I loved the music. And Gregory Peck is just amazing, looking into the fact that it is the first movie I watched of his. Fabulous performance. Now wonder the Oscar.

Now, the direction couldn't impress me nor the screenplay. But the adaptation fares well, though it loses crisp at some points. To Kill A Mockingbird is epic when it comes to the story just like the book. If you have mindset of the 21st century then you might not like this and won;t enjoy this. But let me remind you why it is epic: the story, the peculiar case, the elements of life that are depicted is mind-blowing and even in today, we fail to shadow such unwanted situations, all blame to the lifestyle.

WATCH OUT FOR: Gregory Peck!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Language: No | Sex: No | Nudity: No | Violence: No visuals

2012-12-21

How I love this movie!

The film takes my breath away. It's a perfect drama! It is so unpretentious, profound, simple, truthful, and elegant. It is absolutely timeless. It seems to deeply move everyone who watches it. I own this movie and bawl my eyes out every time I see it. But it's a good cry. To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM, I'll call it) both breaks my heart and inspires me, because it reminds me of human beings' capacity for decency and bravery.

Has there ever been a more touching character than Atticus Finch???? Not a perfect man, not a God, but just a person who respected the rights of other people and tried to do the right thing; he was a "decent" man. He tried to live his life according to the saying "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Such quiet dignity! I can see why Atticus Finch was recently named the #1 movie "Hero" of all time by the American Film Institute. Just thinking about this movie brings tears to my eyes. The only other film to affect me in such a deep way has been The Shawshank Redemption.

Gregory Peck would be forever known as Atticus Finch, and he expressed how honored he felt to be associated with such a character. I saw an interesting documentary about Peck's life, and in it he was doing one-man shows around the country. These shows were question-and-answer sessions with the audience, and the majority of questions and comments were related to TKAM and how portraying Atticus Finch had impacted Peck's life. It was so interesting and touching to hear people talk about how the film and that character affected them. I remember one man standing up and saying that TKAM inspired him to become a lawyer, and that he named his son Atticus. I've read here and there about the favorite movies of various celebrities, and have been amazed that of all the movies out there in the world, there's one title that pops up frequently as a favorite - and that's TKAM. And it's the favorite of all kinds of people, both young and old. I almost fell off my chair when I read that it was Madonna's favorite movie. Didn't think she has such good taste! Anyway, how extraordinary it must have been for G. Peck, Robert Duvall and all the other people who were part of TKAM to realize that they created something really, truly impacted people - and could inspire people to try to be better human beings. Wow. Such a legacy!

2004-05-15

Almost as good as the book

This was some bold subject matter, and it is semi-autobiographical. The movie came out two years after the book, and the fact that Civil Rights was still going on is why this was all such a big deal. What really shows the risk factor, is how such a divisive issue is shown through the eyes of Scout, and not Atticus. It's a great idea, and really gives some thought provoking insight by framing such a big issue through the eyes of a young, precocious child. This also serves as a great way to educate children on the issue. The performances all around are brilliant. The kids are great and likable (which is quite a rarity), Robert Duvall makes a stunning film debut, Brock Peters is agonizingly sympathetic and compelling as Robinson, and then we get the man who really shines above all: Gregory Peck. This was a much deserved Oscar winning and career defining performance for him, and it really is one of the greats. He's wonderful through the whole thing, and he comes off as the kind of dad a person would love to have as their own. What seals the deal though is his lengthy courtroom monologue. I get all kinds of shaken and emotionally stirred up every time I watch that scene. It's some of the most powerful, riveting, and memorable acting ever put on film.